San Francisco Attractions

San Francisco Attractions

San Francisco is a place filled with delights for all of the senses. In this gorgeous city by the bay, it’s easy to get caught up in the sights, sounds, and smells that surround you, no matter where you go. Sometimes, a trip to San Francisco makes tourists never want to leave! When you tour San Francisco, be prepared for fantastic dining opportunities in Chinatown and Fisherman’s Wharf/ Pier 39, and make sure you wear some comfortable walking shoes so you can hunt for bargains (and designer goodies) in exciting Union Square. You’ll surely want to take in many of the unique and fun attractions in San Francisco, all of which contribute to making the city one of the most popular and visited in the world. The great thing about touring San Francisco is that practically everything there is to see and do is located within a few minutes of each other.Stroll alongside the waters of the San Francisco Bay, take a tour a museum or two, drive down what is oft mistaken as the most crooked street in the United States (it is pretty crooked, though), ride a cable car, view colorful Victorian houses, climb a tower, and so much more – all in one day! Come to San Francisco and see for yourself why so many people find and leave their heart here. Let us show you some of San Francisco’s treasures and allow us the chance to offer you a San Francisco experience a city that is unlike any other. The following are just a sampling of the thrilling places to visit and things to do in San Francisco:

Golden Gate Bridge – When the Golden Gate Bridge was just an idea in the mind of a visionary and dreamer, many people swore that the span couldn’t be built. Against all odds, and after a four-year-struggle against harsh fog, winds, tides, and rocks, the Golden Gate Bridge emerged as one of the seven wonders of the modern world. This magnificent bridge is an iconic symbol of San Francisco, and perhaps, the city’s most famous landmark. The Golden Gate Bridge acts a vehicle and pedestrian thoroughfare from San Francisco to the Marin headlands, and is an incredible 1.7 miles long. You’ll easily be able to identify the Golden Gate by its International Orange color. With an official opening in 1937, the Bridge cost $35 million (plus an additional $39 million in interest) to construct, and saw 11 lives lost in the process. At its highest point, the Golden Gate Bridge is 746 feet, and more than 80,000 miles of wire stretch above the tops of the towers to support the suspended roadway.

Golden Gate Park – Every year, more than 13 million visitors come to Golden Gate Park, one of San Francisco’s most special treasures. This outdoor space for gathering, learning, and reveling in nature is vast and beautiful. Tourists flock to Golden Gate Park to spend hours in fabulous museums like the De Young Museum of Fine Art and the California Academy of Arts and Sciences. The stunning and one-of-a-kind outdoor space houses the tranquil Japanese Tea Garden and the Conservancy of Flowers, and is home to Stow Lake, where leisurely afternoon rides on rented paddle boats are commonplace. Residents of San Francisco, and everyone who enters the city, have a true gem in Golden Gate Park. This green urban space rivals the magnificence of New York’s Central Park and is a must-visit attraction. Golden Gate Park saw its beginnings as an area of windswept sand dunes, and was miraculously transformed into a lush oasis by park engineer William Hammond Hall and master gardener John McLaren. This picturesque wooded area is where city dwellers and travelers can picnic,walk or hike through nature, play on playgrounds, listen to live music concerts, attend culture events, and so much more!

Fisherman’s Wharf/ Pier 39 – One of the places in San Francisco that you’ll find the most sensory stimulation is on the waterfront near Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39. There is something to do for nearly everyone in this area, and you’ll surely realize why the Wharf and Pier are top attractions when you arrive. Try some great food, learn a little bit about the history of San Francisco, shop, board a ferryboat for a chilly but thrilling San Francisco Bay ride, or simply gaze out onto a spectacular view of Sausalito and the Marin headlands. Board a tour boat destined for Alcatraz Island, pop into the Ripley’s Believe it or Not! Museum, stop and watch the mimes and street performers, sample some locally-made chocolate, warm up your hands with a hot latte, hop on a cable car at the turnaround, and walk the Hyde Street Pier, which is home to the world’s largest collection of ships by tonnage (including the National Landmark vessels Alma and 1980’s ferryboat Eureka). One of the most famous points of interest in Fisherman’s Wharf, and on Pier 39, is not a building or transportation vehicle at all. It’s the choir of barking sea lions, who sunbathe at the end of Pier 39, and most any time of year you’ll be able to delight in this heartwarming experience.

Union Square – Union Square is thought of by many as one of the most vibrant areas in San Francisco. If you’ve come to the city to shop, people watch, dine, visit galleries, and stay in luxury hotels, Union Square is definitely where you’ll want to spend a good part of your time. This district easily passes for San Francisco’s main gathering area, as the “square” is surrounded by hundreds of retailers and serves as a main hub for events and celebrations throughout the year. In and around Union Square, you’ll find theaters, night clubs, cafes, restaurants, gift shops, high-end department stores, and of course, San Francisco’s famous cable cars – all surrounding a charming urban park. Union Square is a great place to stop for a gourmet pastry, pick up something exquisite for your body or home, linger over an afternoon cocktail, check out a pop-up art installation, or just sit and soak up the wonder of fabulous San Francisco. In the summertime, Union Square features exciting music shows and offers an evening Movies in the Park series.

Lombard Street – Lombard Street is surely crooked, as you’ll notice when our cars carefully escort you down the more than seven “S” curves, which are lined with beautiful homes and gardens on either side. It is not, however, the most crooked street in America, as many believe it to be. It matters little, though, whether Lombard Street breaks any record for its twists and turns, or not. What is important is that street has become such a fun and visually important piece of the complete San Francisco puzzle, and it offers San Francisco visitors a chance to delight in some of the whimsy and playfulness of the city. The picture-perfect image of Lombard Street that you can see from the bottom of the windy road is portrayed on hundreds of postcards and other representations of San Francisco. Lombard Street’s steep switchback curves were originally created to make it possible to travel down this treacherous slope by car, which would be dangerous to do, if not fatal, otherwise. You’ll find some of San Francisco’s most expensive real estate on Lombard Street and in Russian Hill, where the street resides. Every day, a near-endless array of tourists visit the street by foot and by car, to see the stately mansions and to catch a glimpse of the glorious sight.

Coit Tower – You can’t miss the Coit Tower when you tour San Francisco. The tall, white, slender column rises up through lush green foliage growing on Telegraph Hill, and is as important a part of the San Francisco skyline as the Transamerica Pyramid and the Golden Gate Bridge. The Tower was built in 1933 as a welcoming beacon for visitors and residents of San Francisco. From the observation deck, which is reached by elevator, you can look out onto 360-degree views of the city and Bay. Gaze at the Golden Gate and Bay Bridge, look down onto the quaint town of North Beach below, and stare out at Treasure Island as you plan for an excursion there. The scenery in front of you when you’re at the top of Coit Tower is incomparable, and it’s what many believe to be the most fantastic view of San Francisco available. At the base of the tower, take note of the once-controversial murals that were painted on it in 1934 by a group of artists employed by the Public Works of Art Project. The Coit Tower, which was commissioned by Lillie Hitchcock Coit, fulfilled the wealthy eccentric’s dying request to leave behind a structure “for the purpose of adding to the beauty of the city I have always loved.”

Alamo Square and Painted Ladies – Alamo Square, together with the famous “Painted Ladies” that surround it, is one of the most photographed locations in San Francisco. This little urban park, and group of boldly-colored Victorian houses, sits tucked into a lovely, quiet section of San Francisco. It’s just close enough to the city’s skyscrapers to get a fantastic view of them, but quite far from the busyness of downtown to feel like you’re in a real suburban neighborhood. When you visit Alamo Square, you’re in for a real treat. Sit down on the grass for a bit of rest and a break, and then pause for a moment to admire “postcard row” at Hayes and Steiner Streets. The packed, escalating formation of Victorian homes and inns in this peaceful location is such a wonderful contrast to the rest of the city, which makes it a go-to filming location for TV and movie people who want to depict a typical San Francisco residential area for families. Most of the buildings and Painted Ladies of Alamo Square share some unique traits from the Queen Anne era, such as multiple balconies, expansive porches, and living spaces in two to three stories. Pack your camera and prepare to take a lot of pictures in this lovely spot, where you can catch a sunset in the background on most days. Make sure you plan on leaving a bit of time to tour nearby Haight Ashbury afterward, which is just around the corner and is a destination marked by the hippie subculture that thrived there in the 60’s.

Chinatown – Shop like a visitor and eat like a resident in Chinatown, where you can enjoy the best of both worlds on so many levels. The people who live in San Francisco know that Chinatown is home to a thriving Chinese-American population and an area that boasts experiences you won’t find in any other part of the world. Amidst Buddhist temples, and small neighboring dive bars where locals play dice, you’ll find mom-and-pop restaurants, Chinese tea parlors, and the occasional Lion Dance procession for Chinese New Year. Blurring the lines between authenticity and tourism, Chinatown offers attractions like the grand Chinatown Gate at the entrance of Chinatown and the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory, where you can witness the making of cookies that supply most of the area’s restaurants with traditional treats. Whether you see San Francisco’s Chinatown as an over-the-top mecca for tourists or a charming immigrant neighborhood, you’ll immediately be faced with the fact that you’re one of millions of other people who come to the area each year to enjoy all that the district offers. Chinatown welcomes more travelers annually than the Golden Gate Bridge does, and is a wonderful place to pick up souvenirs, learn about Chinese heritage, and enjoy cultural celebrations.

Twin Peaks – Twin Peaks is a world-famous tourist attraction in San Francisco and a neighborhood that has one of the most stunning views of the city. With an elevation of 922 feet, Twin Peaks comes in second only to Mt. Davidson in the quest for highest point in San Francisco. The two adjacent peaks provide an ideal vantage point for viewing all of the unique and varied sights that make San Francisco one of the most visually impressive places in the world. Early Spanish settlers originally called Twin Peaks “Los Pechos de la Choca,” which means Breasts of the Maiden. In addition to the 180-degree views that are available from the Peaks, the San Francisco twin summits are known for their diverse animal and plant life. Take advantage of the chance to stand enveloped incoastal scrub and grasslands when you visit this 64-acre park that closely resembles how San Francisco looked before development changed the land forever.

Civic Center – The Civic Center area is where you’ll find most of San Francisco’s government buildings and offices, with City Hall taking up two entire city blocks on Polk Street. The Supreme Court of California, the Philip Burton Federal Building, the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit all reside in the Civic Center area. Top tourist attractions like the Asian Art Museum, War Memorial Opera House, Davies Symphony Hall, and Manifest Destiny Monument are also located in the Civic Center. One section of Fulton Street in the Civic Center, between Hyde and Leavenworth Streets, was recently turned into a pedestrian area and re-developed into a United Nations monument. Depending on when you travel, you may be able to shop the small farmers’ market that calls the Civic Center home, or you can possibly take part in one of the street fairs and parades that occur on a regular basis.

The number of attractions and activities that are at your disposal when you tour San Francisco can easily top 100, a remarkable accomplishment when you consider that the city is just a mere seven by seven miles in area. You could fill every waking hour of your day with things to do and see, which would include sights like the Presidio and landmarks like the San Francisco Zoo,and still have tons of fun adventures to save for the next day.Some of the destinations you’ll surely want to visit when you travel to San Francisco are the Legion of Honor, the Mission District’s restaurants and wall murals, the Cliff House, AT&T Park, the Palace of Fine Arts, the Marina and Crissy Field, Yerba Buena Gardens and SoMa, and of course, bustling Market Street. Let us help you plan the perfect trip to San Francisco so that you can experience this dynamic city as it was meant to be experienced.